The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-20
Lisdsn stree. Christian Church.

"WhRt Think Ge ri the Christ" was
the subject Of Mr.. Biney's discourse.
The caief glory OF man, said the
speaker, is found in his ability to
think. A house Ia admirsble, the
builder is more admirable, but the de-
signer is most admirable.
Brain power 10 of much more value
than muf cular power. IL is as
thinker that man stands OF the head
Of animal existence.
God recognised the dignity OF man
in this respect when he addressed the
gospel to the power OF human thought.
what think ye Of the Oh rist." 1t Ia
distorted aud very In d, quate view
OF the subject that supposes that the
faith OF the goepsl 10 q blir d, unrea-
sonable thing. II lie not addressed to
man on any such low plane. II APP
proaches him on the basis OF reason
and thought, hnd asks to be accepted
Only az tho result Of intelligent convio-
ton, While the Christian religion
| calls for faith on our part, 1t Is enlight-
| ened faith, q faith that results from
thought and investigation, q faith that
can give reason for the hope that IL
inspires In the human heat.
Ia considering the great question
propounded In the text, orr attention
is necessarily turned to the grounds
upon which the claims oiFChrist, as
the son OF God, rest, This is the
most stupendous propagation ever
submitted to human thought, and cam
not be accepted as true, except upon
adj qnste evidence. II Is = PROPOSE
ton that cannot be believed on mere
human testimony. 1t is superhu-
man proposition and must be sus-
tanned by supvrhuman evidenCe-evi-
dence Of u superhun an kind and from
a superhuman sou, o. and yet such
evidence no the human mind can take
hold If, examine and weigh,
l can believe that Jetus was
the son OF Mary upon acOred-
tied human tettimOLy; but cannot
believe that He was born without q
human father and by direct divine
lot rvebtiop, except upon the most
indubtAble aud extraordinary test.
mouy. Toe enlightened human mind
d. mands tuch testimony in support Of
such ap,oposltion.
This brings us to the question OF tho
credlbiity Of miracle. II they are
credible, Christianity is pTovRbe, but
II they are IL credible, Christianity
tannot DO proved, for it throws itself
on that sort Of proof. Here / call
attention to the fact that with
la the last twenty. Ave years
the Chrittian religion has achieved
one of the most rrIliant victories that
co stitute the crown of its rejoicing.
Y are a,o 1t was laid down as an AZ
ION by BkepiGsl science that mira
cts are incredible because they are
viola ions OF natural law" Along
that line the arguments w,re drawn
up, and the battle ragged for at least q
century. But In the June number Of
the Eclectic Magazine no less an au-
thority than Pot Huxley indorses
t etaem snt that this ground has
now been ger orally absDdoned;" and
the sans dsti gnshed man, in the
same document, likewise Endorsed the
fol lowing pre- gUsnt statement: "The
question of IN rscles seems now to be
admitted ON all hands to be simply q
question of evidence" Thus one OF
The most recent and most powerful
BARRIERS thrown up to obstruct
the progress Of the gospel has
been swept out of the way.
The truth of miracles then is a cues
ton OF evidence, just like any other
ALE ged fact of history. The kind of
that proves that Rome was
bUrued during the reign Of Nero Ia
80 fficient to prove that man arose
rom the dead at Jerusalem during
The governoTship OF Pontius Plate. Tho
" Illnesses w1o test fly to tho reSurrec-
ion Of Jesus CHRIST are to be be-
Iieved, unless they can bs impeached
upon grouods that wou d justify the
Impea hment oil any witness In any
court. IL is now conceded on all
hands 10 be unscientific to dismiss thiB
! stimony on the ground that mira
Gle is q violation OF nstursl law aud
iheTet re incrsdible. Jesus
OpIist asks men to believe in Him az
he son of God on the ground Of His
fTum the dead. As Paul
said on Mars Hill in Athens: God
has appointed day in which He will
Judge the world in righteousness, by
that mao whom He hath ordained,
whereof He hath siven assurance to
al men in tina He hath raised Him
from the dead"
What do you think OF Christ in
view Of the testimony upon which
he halps his clams2 /, BIZ the son oil
God? II 81, 10 he not entitled to all
he claima at your hands and minek